When addressing challenging behaviors, the first step is tracking the behavior. This is an important first step because it allows you to plan your behavior supports and tools around the reasons for the challenging behavior. This post not only explains the benefits of tracking behavior, but also shares with you tips and tricks for making behavior tracking fit within your daily classroom routines.

Have you ever had a child who despite everything you did, their behavior only continued to get worse? You’ve probably heard stories similar to this: “Drop off was a time of day I dreaded. Adrian would arrive in the morning with his mom and they would read a book together. When mom went to leave, Adrian would storm the door and run out of the classroom. We would have to chase him down the hall. If his mom saw him, she would come back to the classroom to talk to Adrian. At first, we thought the challenging drop off would go away once he got used to being in our classroom. However, it only increased over time with him starting to yell, cry, and throw things when his mom left for work. This became a part of our morning routine to the point of administrators needing to come to our classroom to assist. Each morning would melt down into chaos that disrupted our morning routines. It was a nightmare to say the least.“ I shared this example with you because this is a time when many of us question our abilities as a teacher. I’ve had many similar moments in my teaching career. These moments taught me a lot about working with children with challenging behaviors. They also helped me think about my role in helping the children in my classroom. Looking back, one of the reasons I struggled so much was I didn’t take the time to reflect on the big picture about the challenging behaviors and my role in it. Now, reflection has become a big part of how I plan my response to challenging behaviors. It is also a major factor in my ability to maintain composure and perspective. In this article, I’m showing you how I reflect on the big picture of children's challenging behaviors and adjust my interactions to actually see progress when working with the children with challenging behaviors in my classroom.

Have you started tracking the challenging behaviors in your classroom and now you're wondering what to do with all the documentation? Collecting information about children's challenging behaviors only works if you know what to look for in all the information. This article will introduce you to the 5 needs behind all human behaviors. You will also learn signs of each need in children's behaviors and how to adapt your classroom environment and routines to meet each of the 5 needs.

Are you struggling with finding the right strategies and tools to manage the challenging behaviors in your classroom? Do you feel like you have tried everything and nothing works? Learn 3 questions every preschool teacher should be asking when planning supports for children with challenging behaviors.

Every teacher has challenging moments in their day when children hit, scream, throw toys, or spit. While these moments can be frustrating and draining, they present opportunities for us to teach children missing social skills that are necessary for thriving later in life. Learn 3 questions you can ask yourself when addressing challenging behaviors to turn classroom "survival" moments into learning opportunities that teach children how to "thrive" in life.